I haven't really been doing a lot of riding because I'm burned out from the arena. But Sundays are my definite ride days because I only work out 6 days a week. Cairo hasn't been ridden in a week and she was feeling pretty... special... today. My dad got a tripod so I thought I'd take some pictures and some video. The first video in she was very naughty.

pitbullmamaliz wrote:And please tell me those pics were taken before you rode - my hair NEVER looked as good as yours after my helmet came off!

Yes, they were hehe... except the last one was after riding. However... :/ I don't wear a helmet... I'm a horrible person - I even actually fell at the beach one time and got knocked out so I know the dangers of not wearing one.

iluvk9 wrote:Damn it, I need to come and live with you. I want a horsey.

That arena is gorgeous. Is it yours??

The photos of you and horsey are great!

Is it more expensive to buy a horse, or buy a custom saddle for Truman? :p

The arena belongs to a woman who lives next door to the boarding facility I live at. I'm lucky that Cairo gets to live on her property, she only boards to people she knows and she takes great care of my girl. I don't have a very good picture but this was the arena before:

She just covered it last year, it's been finished maybe since... December or January.

plebayo wrote:However... :/ I don't wear a helmet... I'm a horrible person - I even actually fell at the beach one time and got knocked out so I know the dangers of not wearing one.

I was on an international endurance champion who decided to launch from one side of the road to the other - we were in a field and LiLi cleared a ditch, a two lane road, and the ditch on the other side - I exited mid-second-lane and I landed on my forehead on the pavement. I was lucky I didn't break my neck, helmet or no; but it would have split my skull in two without it.

I was 18 and was with a 12 year old and we were over an hour's ride from home when it happened. Long before cell phones and in the middle of nowhere....

Put your damn helmet on girl.

Michelle

Inside me is a thin woman trying to get out. I usually shut the bitch up with a martini.

SLS61185 wrote:Oooo, she's pretty! I've never ridden a horse before... I had my picture taken on one when I was little once. Soooo... Since I'm not a horse person, what's the red thing on her tail?

That is a very hardcore tail bag. I keep her tail braided 24/7/365 unless we go to a show. It helps it grow because you aren't messing with it all the time and it doesn't get caught on everything. She has to have the big gigantic one because she gets what's called "sweet itch" [a reaction to fly bites] and she wacks her tail between her legs really hard to itch her belly and normal lycra [swimsuit material] tail bags don't hold up to the abuse.

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As far as the helmet things go when we go to shows - I wear one. When we jump at home - I wear one. Sometimes I wear one depending on the ride we're going on. I actually was riding at the beach and had a saddle hardware failure while racing a friend, fell off, got knocked out and was rushed to emergency - luckily just had a concussion. After that I always wore my helmet because it was like a "safety net" for me getting out of my helmet helped build my confidence even if it sounds weird and backwards. I wear my helmet for the serious rides we go on but at home not really as much.

Meh, it's when you least expect it that you fall on your head... Flying lead change, horse slips, lands on his knees, I fly over him and he semi-lands on me. Glad my skull was ok, my neck was not so happy though.

And my helmet is always with me even more since I've had that girl in my class who was having a bit of a hard time with cantering her young horse over water puddles (she would buck every time, the rider was quite good at staying in the saddle)... At one point the mare bucked really hard, rider fell off, mare kept bucking and kicked rider in the head. HER HELMET WAS SPLIT on the forehead, and there was a clear shoe mark on it. It was a good brand, certified helmet, not some cheap one either. She left the arena in an ambulance with a wicked concussion.

Meh, it's when you least expect it that you fall on your head... Flying lead change, horse slips, lands on his knees, I fly over him and he semi-lands on me. Glad my skull was ok, my neck was not so happy though.

That's very true...

It's everyone's choice to be stupid or not. I do at least have medical insurance so people's tax dollars are safe.